A roller-and-rail cargo handling system that includes tracked rollers and side rails for receiving cargo pallets. A trolley system is used to move the pallets along the tracked rollers, which includes a trolley movable along a trolley track by one or more cables. The trolley includes (1) a body sized and configured for sliding beneath the pallet located on the tracked rollers, and (2) a pawl in a cavity of the body which is mounted for rotation between closed and open positions. In the open position the pawl extends above an upper surface of the body to engage a cutout of a pallet and exert a moving force thereto, and in the closed position the pawl is sufficiently within the cavity to permit the trolley to slide beneath the pallet without engagement thereof.
A system for remote operation of an unmanned vehicle (UV) includes a control station having a communication link to the UV and executing a web browser for (1) receiving web pages of a UV control web application, (2) rendering the web pages on the control station, (3) receiving control input from an operator via rendered web pages, and (4) generating messages on the communication link based on the control input. A hosted server system is coupled to the control station via the communication link and to internal subsystems of the UV for flight control, mission control, navigation, and system monitoring, and (1) executes a web server serving the web pages of the UV control web application to the control station for the above operations of the web browser, and (2) provides back-end controls to the internal subsystems based on the control input from the operator.
In a remotely piloted vehicle system, a ground station has a payload controller (PC), ground data terminal (GDT), and first payload interface module (PIM) having a first interface of a payload-specific type to the PC and a first network interface to the GDT, and the first PIM converts between signals of the first interface and corresponding messages of the first network interface. Aa remotely piloted vehicle has a payload (PL), a vehicle data terminal (VDT), and a second PIM having a second interface of the payload-specific type to the PL and a second network interface to the VDT. The VDT is communicatively coupled to the GDT for transfer of messages, and the second PIM converts between messages of the second network interface and corresponding signals of the second interface. The PIMs form respective endpoints of a ground-to-vehicle channel between the PC and PL.
Techniques are directed to a modular vehicle belly armor kit, as well as systems and methods which utilize such a kit. The kit includes a bottom plate, a top plate, and a plurality of wall sections connecting with the bottom plate and the top plate to form an armor structure that protects a belly portion of the vehicle. After the modular vehicle belly armor kit is positioned underneath a vehicle, the bottom plate may be placed in contact with the vehicle. After the bottom plate is placed in contact with the vehicle, the bottom plate may be fastened to vehicle.
A tactically deployable rotorcraft for targeted delivery of effects and/or sensors includes a body housing an energy subsystem, a control and communications subsystem, and a modular payload compartment for holding an effect or sensor payload, the body having a generally cylindrical outline and a plurality of arm-rotor niches therein. Arm-rotor assemblies are pivotably mounted to the body, each including an articulating arm and a rotor at a distal end, and each being pivotable between (1) a closed position in a corresponding arm-rotor niche within the outline of the body, and (2) an open position extending from the body with the rotor facing in a flight direction. The rotors are powered by the energy subsystem and controlled by the control and communications subsystem to provide powered flight to a target location for delivery of the effect or sensor payload.
A technique of jamming a victim radar includes digitizing an incident waveform received from the victim radar and convolving the digitized waveform with contents of a range trace memory. The range trace memory stores a sequence of impulses, which, when convolved with the digitized waveform, creates a corresponding sequence of delayed versions of the digitized waveform, one for each impulse in the sequence, and adds together the delayed versions to produce a single output signal. The output signal is then converted to analog form and transmitted back toward the victim radar.
A vehicle includes a vehicle ceiling, a vehicle floor, and a vehicle seat assembly that couples with the vehicle ceiling and the vehicle floor. The vehicle seat assembly includes a seat support that supports a vehicle seat from the vehicle ceiling, a base that forms a slip joint with the seat support from the vehicle floor, and a set of limit straps constructed and arranged to limit deflection of the slip joint in response to deformation between the vehicle ceiling and the vehicle floor (e.g., a vehicle collision, deformation between the vehicle ceiling and the vehicle floor possibly due to a blast, etc.). Each limit strap of the set of limit straps has a first end that attaches to a portion of the slip joint and a second end that attaches to the vehicle floor.
B60N 2/16 - Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles the seat or part thereof being movable, e.g. adjustable the whole seat being movable height-adjustable
B60N 2/24 - Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles
B60N 2/42 - Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles for particular purposes or particular vehicles the seat constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats
B60N 2/427 - Seats or parts thereof displaced during a crash
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a fuselage assembly, a further portion that attaches with the fuselage assembly, and a propulsion assembly coupled with the further portion. The propulsion assembly is constructed and arranged to provide propulsion for the UAV. The fuselage assembly includes a fuselage body constructed and arranged to operate as a forward portion of the UAV, lateral stringers coupled with the fuselage body and extending laterally along the fuselage body, and a set of interchangeable covers to cover at least a portion of a payload bay opening defined by the fuselage body. Utilizing such a fuselage assembly offers a highly configurable mounting architecture to accommodate a wide variety of payloads.
Techniques are directed to utilizing a break‑in assembly to break-in a gear box. The break‑in assembly includes a gear box support to support the gear box. The break‑in assembly further includes a drive apparatus coupled with the gear box support, the drive apparatus being constructed and arranged to drive the gear box while the gear box is supported by the gear box support. The break‑in assembly further includes a loading apparatus disposed in a fixed position relative to the gear box support, the loading apparatus being constructed and arranged to apply loading to the gear box while the drive apparatus drives the gear box. Accordingly, the gear box may be installed on the break‑in assembly, broken in during a gear box break-in period while the gear box is installed on the break‑in assembly, removed from the break‑in assembly, and installed on a water vessel.
A flight control arrangement for a hybrid aircraft includes a fixed-wing flight (F/W) control module and vertical takeoff/landing flight (VTOL) control module. The F/W control module is an integrated component having a respective network interface connected to an aircraft data network via which it provides fixed-wing control output to network-connected fixed-wing flight components including one or more horizontal-thrust components. The VTOL control module is also an integrated component having a respective network interface to the aircraft data network via which the VTOL control module (1) observes flight status as reflected in network messages originated by the fixed-wing flight control module, and (2) based on the observed flight status, generates VTOL control output to network-connected VTOL flight components including one or more vertical-thrust components, to control VTOL flight as well as transitions to and from fixed-wing flight.
Techniques involve an air flow assembly to provide pressurized air, e.g., for use by an air cushion vehicle (ACV) or other craft. The air flow assembly includes a volute having a central chamber, a lift duct, and a thruster duct. The air flow assembly further includes a set of guide members disposed between the central chamber and the thruster duct, and linkage coupled to the set of guide members. The linkage is constructed and arranged to transition the set of guide members between a closed configuration in which the set of guide members closes an opening between the central chamber and the thruster duct, and an opened configuration in which the set of guide members opens the opening between the central chamber and the thruster duct.
Techniques involve releasing and/or capturing a fixed-wing aircraft (22) using an aerial vehicle (24) with VTOL capabilities while the fixed-wing aircraft (22) is in flight. For example, the vehicle (24) may take off vertically while carrying the fixed-wing aircraft (22) and then fly horizontally before releasing the fixed-wing aircraft (24). Upon release, the fixed-wing aircraft flies independently to perform a mission. After the fixed-wing aircraft has completed its mission, the vehicle may capture the fixed-wing aircraft while both are in flight, and then land together vertically. Such operation enables the fixed-wing aircraft to vertically take off and/or land while avoiding certain drawbacks associated with a conventional VTOL kit such as being burdened by weight and drag from the VTOL kit's rotors/propellers, mounting hardware, etc. during a mission which otherwise would limit the fixed-wing aircraft's maximum airspeed, ceiling, payload capacity, endurance, and so on.
A separated lift-thrust (SLT) aircraft includes a longitudinal-thrust engine and articulated electric rotors, at least some of which are variable-position rotors having variable orientations based on rotor position signals. Control circuitry independently controls thrust of the longitudinal -thrust engine and the thrust and orientation of each of the variable-position rotors, relative to the aircraft lifting surface and longitudinal thrust engine, to provide for commanded thrust-vectoring maneuvering of the aircraft during VTOL, fixed wing flight, and intermediate transitional states, including maintenance of a desired pose of the lifting surface independent of orientation of the rotor orientations when hovering the aircraft in windy conditions. A flight and navigation control system automates flight maneuvers and maintains desired aircraft pose and position relative to static or dynamic coordinates during station keeping, tracking, avoidance, or convergence maneuvers.
An amphibious air cushion vehicle includes an air cushion supported hull configured for travel on water and smooth land; a deck supported by the hull; and a dual-rail cargo system having tracks arranged longitudinally on along the hull cargo deck from an aft end. The tracks include (1) guide rails and rollers providing for guided sliding movement of palletized cargo along the tracks, and (2) locks for locking pallets in position during transport, The track is configured at the aft end for an unloading operation in which the locks are disengaged and the palletized cargo slides off the aft end onto underlying land as the vehicle is moving forward thereon. The track may be the one track of a single-track variant, or one of a pair of tracks in a two-track variant.
An improved fireset for detonating an explosive includes a voltage monitor arranged to measure a voltage across a quickly dischargeable energy storage device (QDESD), such as a capacitor, and to perform a detonation sequence based at least in part on the voltage measured by the voltage monitor. The fireset employs feedback from the voltage monitor to promote accurate charging of the QDESD and accurate maintenance of charge during an armed state. The voltage monitor also promotes safety by allowing the fireset to indicate when the QDESD is discharged to a safe level, i.e., one which is assured not to result in detonation.
F23Q 7/02 - Incandescent ignition; Ignition using electrically-produced heat, e.g. lighters for cigarettes; Electrically-heated glowing plugs for igniting solid fuel
16.
TECHNIQUES UTILIZING HIGH PERFORMANCE ARMOR PENETRATING ROUND
An armor penetrating round includes an elongated core portion (e.g., a hollow tool steel core) defining a front end, an aft end, and a central cavity which extends from the aft end toward the front end. The central cavity has (i) an aft cross-sectional diameter adjacent the aft end and (ii) a front cross-sectional diameter adjacent the front end, the aft cross-sectional diameter being larger than the front cross-sectional diameter. The armor penetrating round further includes a slug portion (e.g., a pre-compacted pellet of powdered metal) which is disposed within the central cavity adjacent the aft end, and an outer jacket (e.g., a copper jacket) which extends around the elongated core portion to operate as an interface between the armor penetrating round and a gun barrel when the armor penetrating round is fired through the gun barrel.
F42B 12/06 - Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect of armour-piercing type with hard or heavy core; Kinetic energy penetrators
F42B 12/74 - Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the material of the core or solid body
F42B 12/46 - Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect for signalling for dispensing gases, vapours, powders or chemically-reactive substances
An air vehicle, as well as a method for folding an air vehicle for storage, may include a fuselage and a wing connected to the fuselage. The wing may include two ends positioned opposite from each other, and the wing may be substantially perpendicular to the fuselage. At least one of the ends may define a space therebetween the fuselage and the wing. The space may be sized to receive a potion of the wing when the wing is wrapped around the fuselage.
A system configured to generate an optical beam from a fiber laser is presented. The system includes a fiber gain medium having a core and a cladding, the core being configured to convert radiation from a pump beam into an output beam, the cladding having a mode propagating section and a mode stripping section bounded on a near end and a distal end by the mode propagating section, the mode stripping section of the cladding being configured to scatter excess pump radiation received from the mode propagating section in a substantially outwardly radial direction. The system also includes a rigid support member into which the fiber gain medium is placed, the rigid support member completely encompassing the mode stripping section of the cladding and joined to the fiber at the mode propagating section of the cladding.
A tapered fiber bundle device couples optical power from an optical power source into an output fiber. The tapered fiber bundle device includes a tapered fiber bundle including a set of bundled fibers having a near end and a distal end. The near end of the tapered fiber bundle is configured to collect the optical power from the optical power source. Each fiber k in the set of bundled fibers has a first cross-sectional area Ak(1) at the near end and a second cross-sectional area Ak(2) at the distal end such that Ak(2) is substantially smaller than Ak(1). Each fiber also has a substantially uniform core and a substantially uniform numerical aperture value NAin. A cross-sectional area of the set of bundled fibers at the distal end has a cross-sectional area value Adist substantially equal to Aout.
An electronic assembly includes an electronic device and a solar shield coupled to the electronic device. The solar shield has an attachment portion which attaches to the electronic device, and a shield portion coupled to the attachment portion. The shield portion prevents direct sunlight from substantially reaching a section of the electronic device. The shield portion defines (i) at least a portion of an air intake, (ii) at least a portion of an air exhaust, and (iii) at least a portion of an air passageway which extends from the air intake to the air exhaust. The air passageway overlies the section of the electronic device enabling ambient air adjacent the air intake to form natural convective airflow into the air intake and out the air exhaust through the air passageway to carry away heat from the section of the electronic device during electronic operation of the electronic device.
A method for forming temporary protective coatings and bondable surfaces is disclosed. In the method, a soluble layer (32) is disposed on a material surface, such as the interior surfaces of cell walls (24) of a web material (16). The soluble material (32) is then removed or leached from the web material to form and expose a roughly textured (36), bondable surface for bonding with another material, such as AVCOAT insulation (26). Use of the soluble layer (32), therefore, enhances the bondability of any surface that requires good adhesion, such as where the surface is difficult to reach for conventional surface preparation techniques.
A heterodyne receiver includes first and second laser sources (e.g., laser diodes) which generate optical receiver oscillator (RO) signals having respective RO frequencies. Temperature control circuitry controls a temperature difference between the operating temperatures of the sources such that the RO frequencies differ by a difference frequency corresponding to the temperature difference, the difference frequency being offset from a frequency of a modulated millimeter-wave signal by a predetermined intermediate frequency. An electro-optical nonlinear mixer (e.g., a photodiode) receives the optical RO signals and the modulated millimeter-wave signal and generates an electrical intermediate-frequency (IF) signal, which is provided to an electrical amplifier/detector to detect the output signal corresponding to the modulation of the modulated millimeter-wave signal. The receiver may form part of a heterodyne transceiver having a transmitter which employs an optical heterodyne structure for generating a millimeter-wave signal for transmission.
H01S 3/10 - Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating
H01S 5/068 - Stabilisation of laser output parameters
23.
METHOD OF FORMING A FILLED HONEYCOMB STRUCTURE AND STRUCTURE OBTAINED THEREBY
Formation of a filled honeycomb structure (10) by interleaving layers of material (12) and pre-formed pins made of a desired filler material (14) is disclosed. In one embodiment, the material layers may be pre-impregnated and the pre-formed pins may be made of a foam, insulating material. The fabric layers and the pre-formed elongated foam members are assembled in an interleaved manner to form a raw assembly, and heat is applied to activate the resin and cure the raw assembly. The technique further involves allowing the raw assembly to cool to form a unitary, integral honeycomb structure.
B29C 70/30 - Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
B29C 70/86 - Incorporating in coherent impregnated reinforcing layers
E04C 2/24 - Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials of foamed products laminated and composed of materials covered by two or more of groups , ,
B29L 31/60 - Multitubular or multicompartmented articles, e.g. honeycomb
An ultra low-power transmission system for use with a battery-operated device. The ultra-low power transmission system comprises an encoded transmitter and an addressable ultra low power receiver. The ultra low-power receiver comprises an RF front-end block for receiving and demodulating an Incoming RF signal. The RF front-end block includes an amplifier for amplifying the received RF signal and a frequency discriminator for demodulating the amplified RF signal to produce a baseband signal. The amplifier and the frequency discriminator are each comprised of enhancement mode, high-mobility electron transistors (E-HEMTs). The ultra low-power receiver further comprises a correlator for receiving the baseband signal from the frequency discriminator and detecting a codeword therein. The correlator comprises a plurality of switched capacitors for storing samples of the baseband signal. The correlator is operable to couple the plurality of switched capacitors to integrate samples stored thereon.
The electrical tape has a flexible conductor strip defining a conductor strip contact surface configured to interact with a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector, the flexible conductor strip being arranged to provide electrical connectivity between the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector. The electrical tape has a flexible insulator portion substantially surrounding the flexible conductor strip, the flexible insulator portion being arranged to expose the conductor strip contact surface along the length of the tape.
A surveillance system is configured to detect a rotary-wing aircraft approaching a facility and provide a warning upon detection. The system includes acoustic processing nodes that receive acoustic signals from the environment surrounding the facility. As the nodes receive the acoustic signals, the nodes perform a spectral analysis of the signals to detect if the source of the acoustic signals is a rotary-wing aircraft. Additionally, based upon the acoustic signals, the nodes detect an altitude of the rotary-wing aircraft and a distance between the rotary-wing aircraft and the facility. In the case where the system identifies the rotary-wing aircraft as encroaching a predefined geographical area outside of the facility, based upon the altitude and distance between the rotary-wing aircraft and the facility, the system generates a warning to allow security forces to intercept the rotary-wing aircraft prior to its arrival at the facility.
G01S 5/20 - Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
G01S 3/80 - Direction-finders for determining the direction from which infrasonic, sonic, ultrasonic, or electromagnetic waves, or particle emission, not having a directional significance, are being received using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
G08B 13/16 - Actuation by interference with mechanical vibrations in air or other fluid
27.
TECHNIQUES FOR DIRECT ENCASEMENT OF CIRCUIT BOARD STRUCTURES
A technique for processing an electronic apparatus (e.g., manufacturing an assembled circuit board, treating an assembled circuit board, etc.) involves applying encasement material to an area of the circuit board assembly while leaving at least a portion of the circuit board assembly exposed. The technique further involves causing the applied encasement material to harden (e.g., heating the encasement material in a curing oven, applying radiation, providing a chemical catalyst, etc.). Application and hardening of the encasement material may take place shortly after circuit board assembly (e.g., by automated equipment at a manufacturing facility in order to treat newly assembled boards) or at some later time in the field (e.g., by a technician servicing a legacy board).
A deployable stationary device includes a device support, rate gyros supported by the device support, the rate gyros being oriented along different axes, and a controller supported by the device support. The controller is arranged to receive rate gyro signals from the rate gyros. Each rate gyro signal indicates a rate of rotation about a respective axis associated with a particular rate gyro. The controller is further arranged to perform a vector sum operation based on the rate gyro signals, and generate a direction signal which identifies a direction resulting from performance of the vector summing operation. Such a deployable stationary device is capable of operating as one of a network of such devices in a surveillance system to enable detection and precise location of suspicious activity.
G08C 21/00 - Systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system
G08B 25/00 - Alarm systems in which the location of the alarm condition is signalled to a central station, e.g. fire or police telegraphic systems
G01C 19/38 - Rotary gyroscopes for indicating a direction in the horizontal plane, e.g. directional gyroscopes with north-seeking action by other than magnetic means, e.g. gyrocompasses using earth's rotation
29.
TECHNIQUES FOR REMOTELY ADJUSTING A PORTION OF AN AIRPLANE ENGINE
A technique provides a remote adjustment to a portion of an airplane engine (20). The technique involves attaching a remote adjuster (24) to the portion of the engine (20) at a proximate location (52) to the engine (20) while the engine is not running. The portion is configured to receive a direct manual adjustment from a user while the engine (20) is running and while the user is in direct physical contact with the portion. The technique further involves, after attaching the remote adjuster (24) to the portion of the engine (20), supplying user input to the remote adjuster (24) at a distal location (56) to the engine (20) to provide a remote adjustment to the portion of the engine (20) through the remote adjuster (24) in place of the direct manual adjustment from the user. The technique further involves, after supplying the user input to the remote adjuster (24) removing the remote adjuster (24) from the portion of the engine (20).
F02D 11/02 - Arrangements for, or adaptations to, non-automatic engine control initiation means, e.g. operator initiated characterised by hand, foot, or like operator controlled initiation means
F02B 61/04 - Adaptations of engines for driving vehicles or for driving propellers; Combinations of engines with gearing for driving propellers
30.
CONTROLLED DISPENSE SYSTEM FOR DEPLOYMENT OF COMPONENTS INTO DESIRED PATTERN AND ORIENTATION
A dispenser system provides a means to automatically deploy systems using a controlled dispense approach capable of providing desired operational flexibility. Components such as unattended ground sensors (UGS) are deployed according to a method which includes incorporating the components into an elongated ejection system to form a payload assembly, the ejection system including axially-displaced ejector bays each for holding respective components. Each ejector bay retains the respective components until a respective ejection event upon which the ejector bay ejects the components in a radial direction. The payload assembly includes a stabilizer such as a drogue parachute that substantially prevents the payload assembly from rotating about its elongated axis. A timing sequence for the ejection events is programmed into the ejection system to achieve a desired coverage pattern of the components after deployment. The timing sequence can be chosen to result in a coverage pattern along a continuum from maximum component density to maximum total area coverage. The payload assembly is subsequently released from an aerial vehicle above the area with activation of the timing sequence, such that the ejection events occur during flight of the payload assembly at respective times after its release.
An optical parametric oscillator (14) includes a source (10) of coherent energetic pump optical signals and an optical resonator cavity which includes a set of optical parametric amplifying (OPA) crystals (20a, 20b) and a set of optical elements (22, 24, 26) such as mirrors disposed along an optical path. The optical elements are configured (1) to direct an oscillation optical signal (28) generated by the OPA crystals along the optical path, (2) to provide input coupling of the energetic pump optical signals (12a, 12b) such that each energetic pump optical signal travels through only one of the OPA crystals to result in a corresponding depleted pump optical signal, and (3) to provide output coupling of the depleted pump optical signals (18a, 18b) to prevent each depleted pump optical signal from traveling through more than one of the OPA crystals. Resonator cavities have multiple-leg configurations, including 'L' and 'U' shapes, and either linear (or standing-wave) or ring architectures. The pump source may employ wavefront division or alternatively amplitude division of a single relatively high-power optical pump beam.
Aspects of the present invention are directed to the use of optical gain structures that include alternating layers of gain medium and transparent heat conductors in which the gain medium itself functions as a correction optic. The gain medium changes to an optimum or desired shape because of the thermal changes occurring as the materials of the optical gain structure(s) reach a desired optical output condition.. At the desired optical output conditions, the gain medium conforms to a desired shape. The desired shape may be, for example, that of an optical surface of a transparent heat conductor. By designing the initial shape of the gain medium such that the physical contact with the transparent heat conductor is maximized at the desired optical output conditions, conductive heat transfer between the gain medium and heat conductor(s) is maximized at the desired optical output condition.
Amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) ducts (104, 204, 304, 404, 504, 604) are disclosed for use with various gain media. An ASE duct may be configured and arranged to remove ASE from solid state or liquid gain media (102, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602) and transmit the ASE to an exterior optical medium (1). The refractive index of an ASE duct is selected as desired based on the refractive index of a gain medium and an exterior optical medium. An ASE duct may include first and second boundary surfaces joined at a vertex having an included angle that allows ASE (light) reflected off on one boundary surface to be incident on the another boundary surface at less than the critical angle and transmitted outside of the ASE duct. Laser systems using ASE ducts and methods of using and manufacturing ASE ducts are disclosed.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to staggered arrays of laser diode bars positioned on stepped support structures. Optical waveguides may direct the outputs of the individual diode bars to a desired location, for example, a common output plane. The optical waveguides may be glass plates in certain embodiments. Waste heat generated by the diode bars may be removed from the support structures at certain locations and as a result, the diode bars may be closely positioned with respect to each other. By closely positioning the laser diode bars and directing the diode bar outputs to a desired orientation, the effective brightness and fluence may be increased for a given output area and operational power compared to the prior art. Associated methods of manufacturing staggered array couplers and producing highpower pump energy are also described.
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